42 A FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS 



band and this again by a rather broader light drab brown halo, 

 obsolete towards the lower margin. One of these metallic 

 spots on the central tail feathers measures about 08 long by 

 0*5 broad ; on the antepenultimate feather, the spots may be 

 about 04 by 0'5, in fact they grow rather rounder and smaller 

 as the feathers retreat from the centre. The greater upper tail- 

 coverts have the tips festooned, that is to say, each of the webs 

 projects in a curve beyond the shaft ; each of these bears a 

 couple of eyes similar and similarly situated to those on the 

 tail feathers, but smaller. In most lights the eyes of the tail 

 feathers are beetle green, but it is possible so to hold them 

 that they are entirely dull purple. The eyes on the upper 

 tail-coverts are very similar in this respect, but are purple in 

 more positions, and a brighter purple than those of the tail. 

 The primaries are a plain warm brown with a few buff speck- 

 lings chiefly on the outer webs of the earlier, and towards the 

 tips of the later ones. 



811 Us.— Euplocamus Horsfieldii, G, E. Gr. 



" This pheasant is very plentiful along the edges of culti- 

 vation and the banks of rivers. It breeds during April and 

 May.— J. I." 



This is another species not described by Dr Jerdon and which 

 has not yet been described in Stray Feathers. We know 

 it at present as common in the Khasia Hills, Sylhet, Cachar, 

 Tipperah, and Chittagong. It probably extends into the nor- 

 thern portion of Arracan, but I have not yet received speci- 

 mens thence. Lineatus and Vieilloti are quite distinct and 

 cannot for a moment be mistaken ; the first has already been 

 fully described when treating of the birds of Upper Pegu, 

 (Vol. III., p. 165) ; the latter will be fully described in our paper 

 on the birds of Tenasserim. But it may be convenient to give 

 a brief diagnostical table of the other three species of Euplocamus 

 that occur within our limits. 



Crest. Rump and upper B 



lail-coverts. 



I-n ,, . -, I Greyish white, 



^rfuA X ^ 6 \ feathers sharp 



wlute - ( pointed. 

 U. melanotus, * Blyth $ . ... Black. Black. Ditto. 



„ „. . ,,.. , -r.1 i f Broadly tipped ( Black, feathers 



H. Eorsfieldn $ . ...Black. [ ^ ** ^ ordinary. 



* I think the name melanotis usually applied to this species arises out of a misprint. 

 Blyth himself, J. A. S„ B., Vol. XVII., p. 694, called it melanotus, remarking that it 

 had " no white on rump" and so he designates it. Cat. A. S. B., 1469. The black hack 

 is the characteristic of this species ; all three, on the other hand, have black ears. 

 Elliot, I see, J'. Z. S., 1871. p. 138, prints it melanotis, but this, I think, is a misprint, 

 and we should cither keep it as Blyth wrote it or adopt the more correct form, 

 qnelanonotus. 



